Unknown men vandalise ABVP office in Mahim

Amidst the unsettling political scenario following the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vermula in Hyderabad, the central office of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Mahim was vandalised on Saturday by a group of unidentified men. No arrests have been made so far.

According to ABVP office-bearers, around 4.30pm on Saturday, a group of five to six men armed with iron rods and hockey sticks barged into the office and shattered glass windows and doors on the ground floor.

Harshad Bhide, an ABVP worker, said, "The attackers came quietly and did not chant any slogans. Another ABVP worker Francis D'Souza (21) was struck by a piece of broken glass and was injured on his forehead. He fell unconscious and has been admitted to Sion hospital for further treatment."

"A state executive meeting was going to be held the next day and, hence, preparations were going on. It was a sudden attack and even though we tried to chase the perpetrators away, they fled before we could catch them," said organisation secretary Yadhunath Deshpande.

Deputy commissioner of police (zone V) Mahesh Patil said, "The case is being investigated by the Shivaji Park police, though no one has been arrested till now. As the office where the vandalism had taken place had no CCTV cameras, we are checking the cameras put up around the spot to identify the attackers."

"A similar incident had happened in Bengaluru on Thursday and we are sure that the NSUI and the Congress have a hand in this assault," said Deshpande.